|
|
Les Fous du stade
1972 Comedy
Review
The group of talented comedy musicians known as Les Charlots were at the height of
their popularity in France when they returned to cinema screens in
their third – and arguably best – of their films, Les Fous du stade.
Following the success of La Grande Java and Les Bidasses en folie, the
amiable group had arrived at a winning formula of surreal visual gags
and madcap storylines that seemed to appeal to everyone except the
critics. By this time, alas, one member of the original team -
Luis Rego – had left to follow a solo career, but the four who remained
put so much into this film that you hardly notice his absence. With its non-stop marathon of well-conceived and well-executed visual gags, Les Fous du stade is a terrific feel-good film that will appeal as much to adults as it does to children. It matters not one iota that the plot is something a ten-year old would be ashamed to admit having dreamed up. It matters even less that the film occasionally gets caught up in its own anarchic silliness and loses all sense of reality. What matters is that it manages to make you laugh – and keep you laughing for a good ninety minutes. There are not many full-length films that can achieve that. And the music is pretty good too. © James Travers 2008 Write a review for this film... User Comments
How do you rate this film?
|
Director:
Claude Zidi
Starring: Jean-Guy Fechner, Gérard Filipelli, Gérard Rinaldi, Jean Sarrus, Paul Préboist Synopsis
As a nearby village makes ready to welcome the torch carrier of
the International Games, four friends – Jean-Guy, Phil, Gérard
and Jean – are enjoying a stress-free holiday in Provence. When
his son becomes indisposed, the town’s grocer, Jules, appeals to the
four friends to help him to complete the preparations for the welcoming
committee. The grocer’s daughter, Délice, catches
the eye, and the heart, of Gérard, but she only appears to be
interested in the well-built athlete who brings the torch to the
town. The only way for Gérard to win Délice is for
him to prove his sporting prowess, which he does by entering the
International Games with his three friends. Competitive sport
will never be the same again...
Credits
 More French Comedy |
© filmsdefrance.com 2009